Find the part of the sentence that contains an error: It was not merely the fragmentation of administrative jurisdictions across sectors (1)/ that disrupted cohesive governance, but the inertia embedded in overlapping regulatory mandates (2)/ which, though designed to safeguard institutional autonomy, (3)/ ends up paralyzing inter-departmental responsiveness altogether. (4)
- (a)(1)
- (b)(2)
- (c)(3)
- (d)(4)
Answer
Why
Correct — D. The relative pronoun which takes its number from the noun it stands for, and the verb after it agrees with that noun.
The clause between the commas tells you which noun: though designed to safeguard institutional autonomy. Mandates are designed; inertia is not. So which stands for overlapping regulatory mandates, a plural.
A plural antecedent needs end up, not ends up. The error is in part (4) → option (d).
Why the others are wrong
- (a)(1) — It was not merely the fragmentation opens a correct cleft, It was ... that. Was agrees with the subject It, not with the focused noun, and across sectors is a sound modifier.
- (b)(2) — that disrupted cohesive governance completes the cleft, and but brings in the second focus, the inertia, set against the fragmentation. Its past tense matches was, so nothing here breaks.
- (c)(3) — though designed to safeguard institutional autonomy is a shortened concessive clause, though they were designed, set off by commas. It is correct, and it is the clue that which means the mandates.
Concept
A relative pronoun — who, which, that — has no number of its own. It takes the number of its antecedent, the noun it refers back to, and the verb in the relative clause follows.
In a long subject, two nouns can stand before which. Here they are the inertia (singular) and mandates (plural).
Decide by meaning: which noun can the relative clause describe? Mandates can be designed to safeguard autonomy; inertia cannot. So the verb must be plural.
The main clause is past — It was ..., that disrupted — so ended up would also repair part (4), since ended has one form for singular and plural. Either repair falls in part (4), where the key places the error.
Key facts
- A relative pronoun takes the number of its antecedent: the books which are here, the book which is here.
- In a cleft sentence, It was + focus + that singles out one element: It was the delay that hurt us.
- Though designed is a shortened concessive clause: though (they were) designed.
Study next
Common traps
- Agreeing ends up with the inertia, the head of the phrase, instead of the noun the relative clause describes
- Marking part (2) because also is missing after but, when the key places no fault there
15 Sep 2025, 12:30, English Q.12 tests the same agreement in reverse. Its sentence ends "the more pressing issue of community exclusion which, according to activists, have been systematically ignored for years." The antecedent is singular, so the verb must be has been, and the key marks part (4).
Related PYQs
No directly related past PYQ was found.